The annual holiday shopping marathon is upon us, and in the face of a still-fragile economy, retailers around the country and locally are collectively holding their breaths.

Oregonians are buying artisan, whether it is gloves they purchase from a crafter on the website Etsy, home-brewed beer they buy from a co-worker, or specialty cheese they pick up at a farmer’s market. Add to the list: handcrafted bar soap.

Tim Parks does not impress easily. The founder and owner of TW Bronze in Enterprise comes across as laid back and unpretentious. But even Parks felt a bit of a thrill when Arnold Schwarzenegger rode shotgun with him to take a tour of his bronze foundry in September.

When Steve Dreiling took over son Lance Donavan’s Green Pet Compost Company in early 2011 it had 100 clients. It now has 200 residential clients in the Portland metro area (as well as Gig Harbor, Wash., where Dreiling lives) and 10-12 commercial clients, including the Stay Pet Hotel and Sniff Dog Hotel in Portland.

Amid a still sluggish real estate market, Oregon housing permits remain mired thousands per month below the heights of five years ago.

  All “latest” numbers are for September 2011 unless otherwise noted. Latest Month Previous Month Previous Year Annual Change EMPLOYMENT/BUSINESS LISTINGS Total employment State of Oregon, thousands 1,825.4 1,828.9 1,792.2 1.9% Total unemployment State of Oregon, thousands 178.2 187.4 197.9 -10.0% Unemployment rate Ore. civilian labor force, seasonally adjusted 9.6% 9.6% 10.7% -1.1 Portland/Vancouver MSA; … Read more

Two years ago, electric vehicles were going to save the world and Oregon in particular. There would be several models on the market to choose from, they all would be fast and go far, and there would be as many charging stations dotting I-5 as Ducks fans on game day. Manufacturers and politicians alike were expecting everyone to dive into the deep end of the EV pool. But consumers have been slow to embrace the new technology.

Large swaths of Oregon’s public land are being leased for wind exploration, leaving wildlife at risk and raising serious questions about how energy projects should be developed.

Oregon is creating a marketplace where small businesses can buy health insurance. But will this exchange improve quality and make health plans more affordable?

What’s ahead for Oregon’s economy? The forecast is mixed.